Guest Column
Forgotten heroes of ‘Fabulous Fifties’ remembered page 7
Island Scene
Editorial
The heavy price of immortality; Pickett’s charge rides again
Music, pie, parades, log-rolling,fireworks too; be ready for fantastic Fourth of July page 7
page 9
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, June 26, 2013 Vol. 106 Issue 26
of the San Juan Islands
Felony ends legal career
www.sanjuanjournal.com
Skagit grads defy test of time By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
By Scott Rasmussen Journal editor
A seemingly successful legal career came to an apparent end as a Whidbey Island attorney confessed in a San Juan County courtroom to forging checks and stealing nearly $100,000 from the estate of a San Juan Island woman whose estate he was representing. On June 14, Douglas Allen Saar, 39, formerly of the law offices of Oak Harbor-based Skinner & Saar, which five years ago purchased the Friday Harbor law practice of the late John Linde, pleaded guilty in San Juan County Superior Court to one count of firstdegree theft, a Class B felony. He was ordered by Judge Don Eaton to serve 60 days in jail and to pay $1,000 in fines and fees. However, based on the sentence recommended by local prosectors and the defense as part of a plea agreement, Saar will serve no jail time. He will be allowed to serve 30 days under house arrest and to perform 240 hours of community restitution in lieu of the 60-day jail term. Fines and fees were paid on the day that the sentence was handed down. According to court documents, Saar reportedly admitted to a detective that he forged signatures on four checks totaling nearly $100,000 from the See career, Page 4
Journal photo / Steve Wehrly
Rhys Thompson accepts congratulations and his diploma from Skagit Valley College President Dr. Tom Keegan at the college’s San Juan Center graduation ceremonies, June 19.
Big bets placed on Byway Bus
See Time, Page 5 Dan Ward of San Juan Transit makes a rest stop in Friday Harbor while piloting one of the fleet of Scenic Byway buses, which offers a 2-for-1 deal for riders this summer.
By Elwyn Pratt,
Special to the Journal
Taking a bus out to the westside may sound a little counter intuitive to a local, but then again, it is the greener way. This summer, the Visitors Bureau is offering a 2-for-1 special on daily passes; $15 will buy two seats on the Scenic Byway Bus Route on San Juan and on Orcas. Regular commuters can get a 20-ride special for $40. The Scenic Byway connects the
The San Juan Center of Skagit Valley College featured five graduates at or under 20 years of age and three near or over 40. Sandy Harold, a college counselor, remarked, “These are just the kind of people we want to attract here.” She pointed out that Skagit College has 10,000 students from 20 countries spread over 5 campuses in three counties - with students “from 17 years old to 60.” The atmosphere was proud, friendly and future-oriented as about 70 teachers, friends and family members gathered on a warm and sunny afternoon at the San Juan Center campus June 12 to congratulate and honor Shelby Alger, Mackenzie Brown, Christopher Jones, Melissa Mortenson, Rhys Thompson, Patricia Tullock and Cheyenne Payne. Josef BlancRidings of Lopez missed the ceremony. San Juan Center Director Randy Martin welcomed everyone warmly before Skagit College President Dr. Tom Keegan introduced each graduate with a bit of personal background and an idea of their future goals, reminding them and the audience that it is “the interaction
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Trails To You
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icons of the two islands, and it is very convenient for day trips. I traveled on the Orcas bus with Liz Illg, the Scenic Byway Project Coordinator, to go see the Solstice Festival last weekend. The pick-up times were aligned with the ferry
schedule, so that our shuttle was waiting for us as we stepped off the Sealth. On the ride back, there were six of us in the bus, all chatting about our favorite costumes in the parade. For the first time in my See Bets, Page 4
2011 Special Award; Second Place: General Excellence from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
Our 2013 Parks & Trails Guide covers a lot of territory, including trails, hikes and programs at National Parks, State Parks, County Parks and the Land Bank. Check it out in our July 3 edition.